Chapter 4

Tonight, Xie Heng stayed overnight at the Marquis Mansion.

Late at night.

Once again, I was sent to his room.

Layers of gauze curtains blurred the darkness.

“Does it hurt?”

His calloused hand wiped away the tears on my face, and he paused.

I kept my eyes closed, but the tears kept streaming down.

After a while, Xie Heng’s voice came from above.

“So delicate.”

He pinched my chin, and before I could react, he kissed me.

The air was gradually drawn away, drained dry.

My struggles were in vain, my tears falling silently.

When it was finally over, Xie Heng suddenly took my hand and asked, “What is this?”

I opened my eyes to see him frowning, staring at the wounds on my hand.

My thoughts suddenly returned to that day-

The night I became the young lady of the Marquis Mansion, Eldest Aunt made that absurd request of me.

Of course, I refused.

Eldest Aunt found an excuse to send Father out, then punished me herself.

Sharp needles pierced under my fingernails, the pain was excruciating.

All ten fingers, not a single one was spared.

When I was about to collapse, Eldest Aunt came before me, her smile gentle.

“Your father is the Marquis. If he wanted a life from that little village, it would be no harder than killing a chicken.”

She was referring to Jiang Songjing.

A girl raised in the countryside could not withstand such threats and punishment.

When the pain nearly made me faint, I cried and begged for mercy.

“I am willing…”

“Eldest Aunt, I am willing.”

Eldest Aunt smiled and helped me back to the table. “That’s a good girl.”

Father returned soon after. His gaze swept over my bloodied hands, paused for a moment, but quickly looked away.

…

“Hmm?”

The man in front of me waited a long time for my response, his tone growing impatient.

He turned me over and pressed me onto the bed.

Again and again.

In the end, I was still crying. Xie Heng brushed the hair from my face, his hand coming away wet.

He paused, his tone softening a little.

“Feeling wronged?”

He pulled the quilt over me, hesitated for a moment, then said,

“When your elder sister recovers, I will tell her the truth and take you as my concubine.”

Take me as a concubine…

The man propped himself up on the bed, looking down at me from above.

It seemed that, to him, taking responsibility for me and making me his concubine was already the greatest favor he could bestow.

In a daze, I thought again of the small village where my mother lived when she was alive.

And the sincere young man in the village.

He once stole glances at me under the pear blossom tree, making a solemn promise that he would one day fulfill his ambitions and give me everything he could.

When I came back to myself,

The man before me was facing away, getting dressed. His words still echoed in my ears:

“I can take you as my concubine.”

“…”